Dxd: A demon Among Devils-Chapter 17: []:Dohnaseek

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He had tried. Applying the same method he had used to resurrect her, he had placed the fragment of power into her body where it promptly broke into pieces. He had known that it would happen. Even before Rias and Sona explained to him the concept of Sacred Gears he had felt the diminishing aura of energy that remained in the girl's body. His guess had been close to the mark. The remnants of a weapon, forged by a power that even he could not match, concealed in the frail body of a mortal. And even as he duplicated the process of its creation, he knew that it would fail, just as he knew the resurrection itself would be partial, fleeting, incomplete.

Nevertheless, an incomplete resurrection was better than no resurrection at all, and he counted that as a victory for true resurrection had never been his intent.

"So what will become of me?" she asked.

"You will waste away. Once the last pieces of your Sacred Gear disappear, so will your life."

Asia gave him a half-smile. He admired her ability to do so. But then again, that had always been a human trait. To smile in the face of adversity.

"You make everything sound so clinical, Arisato-san."

"I am sorry," he said and meant it, "I am not used to having these conversations."

"That is alright. I think it is rather endearing."

The girl leaned back into her pillows, and gave a small cough.

"So I will die then."

"Yes," he answered, "You will die. And then you will live."

She stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Tomorrow you will ask Rias to be made into a devil, and once you do die, she will resurrect you as one amongst her peerage, and you will live again, just not as a human."

Asia nodded slowly.

"Gremory-san said that if things became worse she would give me that option. Becoming a devil, that is."

"I am not surprised she did," he replied and waited for the inevitable question to arise.

"So if I was going to die anyways, then why did you revive me?"

He gave her a patient look.

"Because you deserve a choice."

"A choice?" she asked, unsure.

He stood up to stretch, wincing slightly as a few of his joints cracked in response.

"Rias gave you that option because you are still alive. And that is why I revived you. So that you may have that option. To choose whether to live as a devil or die as a human."

The girl looked down, and he noted that her hands were now gripping the sides of her bed in a tight hold.

"I think I would prefer to live as a human," she said softly.

"That regret you are feeling. It would not be possible if you died and Rias had turned you."

"I don't understand."

"A devil is forever loyal to the demon it serves. Your case will be no different. Your ability to choose, your ability to decide your own fate, will be forsaken and replaced with obedience to the King of your peerage."

Rias and Sona had left that part out of their explanations. But he knew. The demons within his mind made sure he knew.

Asia bit her lip at the thought.

"The power to choose is what makes us human. The power to decide is what makes us matter. You will lose that should you become a devil."

"I want to live," she said after a while, "I want to be friends with Issei, and Rias, and everyone else," her voice quivered, "But I don't want to lose my humanity to do so. Why can't I just be myself and live happily?"

That last question was not directed to him or anyone else in particular, but he decided to answer it anyways.

"Sometimes we are asked to make a choice between things we don't want. In times like that, the power to choose is our most powerful ally and our most precious gift."

She said nothing, and instead looked down again.

"I am sorry," he repeated once the silence stretched on.

She glanced up at him and he could see the wetness that was in her eyes.

"I am sorry for not being able to resurrect you completely. The Sacred Gear in your body made it difficult. I am sorry for only giving you this one last chance to choose."

Asia wiped at her eyes and sighed.

"Hyoudou-san said you are a very cold person."

He nodded. That sounded like something Issei would say.

"But I do not think that is true," she smiled at him, "I think you are a very kind person, Arisato-san."

And then her expression turned tentative, nervous almost.

"Will you think any less of me if I decide to become a devil?" she asked.

Metatron would. As would a dozen others, their golden forms radiant upon golden thrones.

But he was not them.

"I do not judge," he finally replied, "I merely accept."

It was late at night when he headed home. His talk with Asia had been long, and even after it was finished he did not give himself the luxury to rest. Rent didn't pay for itself. The rest of the afternoon was spent traveling to his various jobs and throwing in a few hours of work into them. Luckily they were more in line with the consulting profession and did not involve much physical labor. And they paid well for the few hours he did put in.

Still, he was tired. And it was for that reason he was not completely aware of his surroundings when he trudged up to the stairs to his apartment.

He unlocked the door and walked in.

The first thing he noticed was the lights. They were on. Which was strange considering he checked every morning to make sure they were off before heading to school. He did not need overdue electric bills piling up on his plate.

Then he noticed them, recognized them for what they were, and immediately the barrier that was a Null Light shimmered into view, something he should have cast when he first faced them.

The figure closest to him, the only one that had been standing, dressed in a ridiculously outdated purple suit swallowed and slowly lifted his hands into the air.

"Parley?"

"You do not understand the implications," the one known as Dohnaseek stared at him from across the table, "of what you have done."

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